


Tomodachi / Fílos

by katamarii



Series: A Series of Nonsensical APH Ficlets [5]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Friendship, Humor, Language Barrier, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-11
Updated: 2012-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-05 04:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katamarii/pseuds/katamarii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Herakles tries to make amends.</p>
<p>Drabble for <b><i>lovemeliekmary</i></b>'s prompt: “Giripan. Language barrier, but they maintain a relationship somehow through the use of charades, gestures, and very little words that they have learned from the other.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomodachi / Fílos

~.*.~

 

To be honest, he didn’t think he’d be this nervous. It had seemed relatively straight-forward when he had planned it all out in his head on the train, seated in-between a snoring down-on-his-luck salaryman and an old woman knitting what looked suspiciously like a bright-pink camisole… well, maybe everything seemed simpler in comparison to knitted pink camisoles.  
  
  
 _Was she knitting that for her teenaged granddaughter? It looked too big for a five-year-old…_  
  
  
– quick wave flashed before him and –  
  
  
Herakles snapped back to attention, suddenly recalling that Kiku was still standing before him, and was now wearing a slightly concerned (whether for Herakles or for _himself_ , the Grecian can’t quite tell yet) look upon his face.  
  
  
“I’m sorry,” Herakles began, bowing his head awkwardly in embarrassment. “Er… _sumimasen_ … and.. ah.. _watashi wa_ … ah…”  
  
  
Kiku quirked his brows questioningly, disquiet in his eyes still and Herakles could see he was slowly backing away. He sighed, and tried again.  
  
  
“ _Sumimasen_. I’m… I’m sorry, I wish I knew how to say this in better Japanese, but I’ll probably end up confusing you again, and I don’t want that.”  
  
  
Herakles chuckled softly, turning his head away to glance at his shoes instead. He could still feel Kiku’s silent gaze on him, and a huge part of him really wanted to meet that gaze. But he knew Kiku was still wary, still uncertain of him… of _them_. So he kept his gaze trained at his shoes, at that little pebble beside his left foot, at the tiny wildflower peeking out from in between cracks of the street gutter.  
  
  
He kept his gaze on everything else except Kiku.  
  
  
“I know we got off on a wrong start, and I really am sorry I said ‘ _Chikush–_ ’"  
  
  
Kiku flinched.  
  
  
“Oh shi- aaah erm, sorry! S-sorry. Right… well, what I’m been meaning to say is that… well, I’m really, really sorry and I was being stupid - still probably being stupid now but - I hope we can just start over again? Because I just.. well…”  
  
  
Herakles paused, fiddling with a stray thread from the hem of his shirt, before he slowly lifted his gaze again. He offered Kiku a tiny smile, and raising both his hands, brought them together to form a heart-shape sign with his fingers.  
  
  
“ _To… tomodachi ni natte kuremasen ka?_ ”  
  
  
Herakles didn’t know what to expect or think of after he’d said it  - he’d only hoped that he hadn’t embarrassed himself again (or worse, embarrassed or insulted _Kiku_ ).  
  
  
He didn’t know what to think, no, but he definitely didn’t expect Kiku’s expression to soften–  
  
  
– and then suddenly Kiku moved –  
  
  
– and Herakles felt arms embracing him around his torso and the weight of what felt like Kiku burying and hiding his face against Herakles’ chest.  
  
  
“ _Nai_ ,” Kiku murmured softly. “ _Nai, tha í̱thela na._ ”  
  
  
  
 _ **–telos–**_

**Author's Note:**

>  _tomodachi ni natte kuremasen ka?_ – will you be my friend? (or the more polite form would be “would you do me the favour of being my friend?” )
> 
> _nai, tha í̱thela na_ – yes, i would like to
> 
> *
> 
> This is my problem when I write Giripan: I can’t seem to stop being pretentious and throwing in Greek and Japanese phrases, and end up embarrassing myself when I get them slightly wrong. Also, if you were wondering, Herakles made the mistake of using chikushou (previously when conversing with Kiku) which roughly means “dammit!” or “shit@!” in Japanese (blame Alfred, he told Herakles that he could improve his Japanese by watching anime, yes!) It isn’t most polite thing to be spouting off, and definitely not to someone you just met.
> 
> But anyway, this was written as a spur-of-the moment thing (again), so apologies if it sounds a little cluttered and incoherent as some parts. It was still written with much love though ♥


End file.
